Technical Abstract:
Blends of poly(hydroxy ester ether) (PHEE), a recently developed bisphenol A ether-based synthetic biodegradable thermoplastic polymer, with renewable polymers were studied. Their thermal, mechanical failure, and morphological analyses will be reported. Various renewable polymers were characterized. It was found that PHEE filled with inexpensive and renewable polymers could be an attractive system for biodegradable and molded applications. Their Young's modulus fell in the range between 0.8-1.5 GPA with a tensile strength 10-30 MPA. This research was conducted under CRADA 58-3K95-9-717 between Agricultural Research Service and Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation.